Trevor Colbourn | |
---|---|
2nd President of the University of Central Florida | |
In office July 1, 1978 – June 31, 1989 |
|
Preceded by | Charles N. Millican |
Succeeded by | Steven Altman |
Personal details | |
Born |
Armidale, New South Wales, Australia |
February 24, 1927
Died | January 12, 2015 Winter Park, Florida, United States |
(aged 87)
Spouse(s) | Beryl Evans |
Children | Two |
Residence | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
Alma mater |
University of London (B.A.) College of William and Mary (M.A.) Johns Hopkins University (Ph.D.) |
Profession | Professor, historian |
Harold Trevor Colbourn (February 24, 1927 – January 12, 2015) was an Australian professor and academic administrator, who served as the second President of the University of Central Florida, previously named Florida Technological University.
Colbourn was born in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia on February 24, 1927. As a young man, Colbourn and his family moved to England where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at the University of London. Colbourn then moved to the United States, where he graduated with a Master of Arts in history from the College of William and Mary and a doctorate in history from Johns Hopkins University.
Colbourn taught history at Penn State University and Indiana University Bloomington before he becoming the Graduate Dean at the University of New Hampshire in 1967. In 1973, he was appointed Academic Vice President of San Diego State University and served as Acting President from 1977–1978.
On July 1, 1978, Colbourn took office as the second president of the University of Central Florida (UCF). He was appointed by the Florida Board of Regents on January 9, 1978 to succeed Charles N. Millican, the founding president of UCF. Under his leadership, and as the university's academic programs diversified and grew away from its strictly technological and scientific beginnings, Colbourn suggested that the university be renamed. In 1978, Governor Reubin Askew approved the change of name from Florida Technological University to the University of Central Florida. He established the university's football program, honors program, the Central Florida Research Park and numerous satellite branch campuses. During his tenure, enrollment increased from around 11,000 in 1978 to over 18,000 in 1989.